Man sentenced to 120 days in jail after pet fish cut in half

Jul. 26, 2017

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 120 days in jail after police say he cut a pet fish in half during a domestic dispute.

The Bristol Press reports (http://bit.ly/2uwo8kj ) 33-year-old Juan Vega pleaded guilty Tuesday to breach of peace. As part of the plea deal, a charge of cruelty to animals was dropped.

Authorities say police responded to a call of a domestic disturbance at a Bristol home April 27. Police say Vega argued with a woman and damaged property at the residence. The woman's 9-year-old son told officers the family's pet betta fish was killed.

The prosecutor says the fish killing "really did traumatize" the child.